ELEVEN people who took part in an adventure of a lifetime by trekking the Great Wall of China raised more than £18,000 for Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

The all-female team, who called themselves the China Trek Chicks, completed the 60km trek last September. Last week they visited Wiltshire Air Ambulance’s operations centre in Devizes for the first time since the trek, and were delighted to be told that their fundraising efforts had raised an outstanding £18,854.04.

This was the first time that Wiltshire Air Ambulance had organised a trip to the Great Wall of China and as well as stepping up to the challenge, the participants also made new friends.

Amy Becker, 23, of Westbury said, “There was a real camaraderie amongst us. There were tough days, but we got through them all together. The Great Wall of China was always on my bucket list of things to do and it was a really good experience. The fact that it was also raising money for Wiltshire Air Ambulance also appealed to me. I support the charity and have taken part in their Christmas raffle. Wiltshire Air Ambulance can reach people who are seriously injured or ill quickly, and in our rural county that is essential.”

Kenresa Stratford, fundraising & events coordinator at Wiltshire Air Ambulance, also took part in the China Trek.

She said, “This was a challenge that I really wanted to do for a lot of reasons and I am pleased I completed it. It was hard both physically and emotionally, but it’s an experience I will never forget for the rest of my life. Doing something like this for a cause I am passionate about really gave it some meaning and spurred me to ensure everyone enjoyed themselves, if they needed a boost.

“To raise over £18,000 is just incredible and I am proud of each and every one of the China Trek Chicks. Theygave up weekends to train and put so much effort into their fundraising, as well as approaching the trek in such a positive manner, which helped make it a really special event. What they have achieved is incredible and we cannot thank them enough, as this support has helped us to continue to fly and save lives.”

The charity is working on plans for an overseas challenge in 2019, watch the website – www.wiltshire airambulance.co.uk– for details.